Anyone who expected this fashion week to push boundaries was proven wrong: the fall/winter 2026 season is anchored in a tangible reality and relies on security. Luxury brands do not try to invent the fashion of tomorrow, but rather want to dress the man of today and underline their signature with concrete and rational pieces. A look back at some of the most influential fashion shows and presentations from Paris Fashion Week.
Jeanne Friot: “It’s never too late to fight fascism”
This season, few designers used their fashion shows as a place for protest and activism; Jeanne Friot therefore particularly stood out. She presented queer fashion to dancers with combative choreography and remained true to her genderless vision.
“In response to contemporary attempts to fix bodies – to shape them, make them legible, docile and normalized – the show celebrates movement,” read the notes for their Fall/Winter 2026 show.
With this fashion show, Jeanne Friot strengthened her position as a mouthpiece for minorities. She showed her message on T-shirts with slogans like “It’s never too late to fight fascism,” which are already available on the brand’s e-shop. The house’s stylistic codes were also stronger and more intense. These included sequined tartan and kilts that became longer or wider. Her iconic belted pieces were seen in almost every silhouette; from bustier dresses to the collar of a coat to a bomber jacket, a skirt and over the knee boots.
Louis Vuitton: more than just clothes
At Louis Vuitton, the viewer’s gaze was captured more by the stage design than by the collection itself. This consisted of useful and unpretentious clothing. At the center of the set was a prefabricated home designed by Pharrell Williams that sold the dream of high-end living. The production was intended to establish the name Louis Vuitton as a cultural brand in which clothing is just one element of many.
IM Men: Products that envelop
IM Men is the brand founded in 2021 by the Japanese group Issey Miyake. She delivered what was expected of her: loose fashion with artfully calculated folds. These reflect the technical vision of the Japanese engineers who design them.
The “product” approach claimed by the brand resulted in strong pieces. The name IM is derived from “im product”, a brand owned by Issey Miyake in the late 1970s. The collection included thick, cozy coats that looked like they were cut from duvets; Capes made from a collection of fluffy scarves; Beanie stoles and a variety of wrap-around pieces that will delight anyone who is always cold.
Dries Van Noten: Parallel to Jonathan Anderson’s Dior style
Bucking the oversize trend, the Dries Van Noten show opened with a fitted coat. He seemed like a new version of the dandy and aristocratic spirit that Jonathan Anderson introduced last season with his first men’s fashion show for Dior. But similar to the House of Dior, creative director Julian Klausner made sure to modernize the elegant look with casual details. There was denim, hats in the style of Peruvian caps and brooches with fringes. Rolled sleeves, jacquards in bright colors and of course a variety of prints, the brand’s trademark, were also featured.
Kenzo: rely on new editions
There was no fashion show for Kenzo this season. Instead, a presentation of Stockman puppets was held at the former residence of Kenzo Takada. The Japanese-style house is located in the Bastille district. This probably more cost-effective choice is accompanied by a contemporary creative approach, consisting of an emphatic return to the house’s archives.
The press release reads like a reorder list and speaks for itself: “The tiger, a symbol of the Kenzo Jungle collection from the 1980s, returns and now adorns the shirts”; “Two-tone neo-tailoring is making a big comeback, reinterpreting archival silhouettes from the 1990s last seen in the Fall/Winter 2022 collection”; “The 1986 Kite bag returns as an exact replica, available in new versions in contrasting color-block leather.”
The result is a wearable and well-behaved collection with preppy accents. It moves significantly away from streetwear culture, the trademark of Nigo, Kenzo’s creative director since 2021.
Dior: young aristocracy as a target group
Dior plays with open cards. The main brand of the LVMH Group and its creative director Jonathan Anderson are aimed at the young aristocracy, i.e. the new global elite. They design and sell their collections for them. “This young aristocracy with a Dior spirit forges new stylistic connections, guided by joy and spontaneity. She wears dyed-yellow, upturned hair, embroidered epaulettes and displays a sense of eclectic opulence,” the show notes read.
In the colorful mix of this collection with often dazzling silhouettes, several dresses and skirts for men stood out. They reinforced the gender freedom already present in Jonathan Anderson’s previous collection for Spring/Summer 2026. This is not only gender-specific, but also stylistic. She consciously distanced herself from a conservative aristocracy. Instead, it meets the wishes of a youth that longs more for casual luxury than the stiff three-piece suit of their grandparents’ generation.
Ami Paris: a collection for now
Choosing a see-now-buy-now strategy would have made a lot of sense for Ami Paris. The fashion show presented a collection that was both current and wearable. “The collection is reminiscent of a real wardrobe, representative of life, put together over time,” the show notes say. This concrete approach was evident in everyday clothing that corresponds to today’s trend. Oversized coats, wide trousers, striped shirts and classic sweaters were featured. In short, nothing revolutionary, but lots of practical pieces.
Jacquemus: consolidated codes
The French brand ended Paris Fashion Week with a collection that stayed true to its DNA. It had a bright title, “Palmier,” a sensual silhouette and a touch of humor. The palm hairstyle consisted of a ponytail worn straight on top of the head.
In Jacquemus, as in others, the codes of the house were emphasized, even if this meant explicit allusions to the archives. In this Fall/Winter 2026 collection, geometric shapes were reflected in round hats and rounded shoulders. A childlike spirit appeared in a confetti pattern of red, blue, yellow and black. According to the show notes, the tailored shapes were a reinterpretation of the “La Bomba” collection.
Beyond repeating the codes, the event served to justify price positioning and legitimacy to luxury corporations. In its announcement, the brand named its renowned suppliers Maison Février and Maison Lemarié. She also didn’t shy away from using complex materials such as taffeta, ostrich feathers and rocaille embroidery.
New emerging designers
In addition to the heavyweights of the luxury industry, this edition also offered space for an emerging scene. This was characterized by commitment, strong storytelling and great creative diversity. Designers who were new to the official calendar of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) mixed with “off” events. Young designers to keep an eye on include Jeanne Friot, already mentioned, but also the Saudi brand KML or Georges Laurence, FFF Postal Academy, Ssstein and others.
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